Cybertronian River Monsters
by Prime627
Summary: Optimus gets an alert about a Predacon that has taken up residence in a lake, and when he investigates, he is surprised to find eggs, evidence that the Predacons can still go on. There's only one problem, though. The mother is gone, and Optimus finds that he needs some help from one Jeremy Wade (I tried looking for River Monsters in the select category thing, but it didn't have it
1. Chapter 1

The water was murky and deep, surrounded by steep cliffs that had been worn down by time and water, the very water that promised the biggest catch.

And a monster.

The line dropped with a soft _ker-plunk_ , the bobber bobbed, the bait dangled and wiggled in the water temptingly, but there was no bite. The big fish were scared by something bigger.

The false bait held no interest for the monster waking up from its nap, but it didn't ignore it. It nosed it gently, taste-tested. It was terrible, there was a hook, and it wasn't its usual food. But the human baiting it was getting its interest, and that might be a supplier of food. Even through the murk, the monster could see the blue veins on the human.

Blue meant food.

Its tank rumbled. The monster bit the false bait off the line and rose from the water, roaring. Its optics dimmed against the bright sun and it watched the humans run in fear. Not food, the monster decided. Just irrations. The monster lowered its massive body back into the water and laid in wait, hoping for food. When it settled, it nosed a clutch of five eggs back under its wing.

ooo

Optimus didn't get a lot of distress calls that _didn't_ involve Cybertronians, so when he received one involving a film crew getting attacked by a "dragon", he figured that they mistook a minnow for the beast of legend or something. But when he met with the man that had seen the beast, he realized his mistake.

 _This_ man, he knew, was brave. He had taken on the world's biggest and baddest river monsters. If something massive had come onto his line, he wouldn't have backed down quickly. He would have probably gone swimming with it to drag it to shore, not hightail it as fast as he could from the lake where he had encountered the beast.

Mr. Wade invited Optimus into his garage and the massive Prime found himself surrounded by tackle, rods, and lines. Rows and rows of tackle boxes for various fish and beasts surrounded him and Optimus scanned them while the human told his tale of the beast.

Optimus frowned at the information he was given. What had attacked the nice Mr. Wade and his film crew was not a minnow, or a sturgeon. It was a Predacon.

The Prime asked the human if he could lead him to the lake, and the human cheerfully did. It was in another country, but Optimus had no trouble managing that. Just as a precaution, he took Bumblebee and Ultra Magnus, which meant that Wheeljack and Bulkhead had to tag along. The Wreckers didn't go without their leader, and their leader did not go without his team. It was a guarantee, and if it was indeed a Predacon that had attacked the _River Monster_ crew, then Optimus was glad to have the explosive-loving mechs around.

They arrived to the lake without incident. It looked like a small lake, but Jeremy told him that it was deeper than it looked. Optimus tried to peer through the murk, but it was impossible, so he started to walk into the water.

It was warm, soothing even. His pedes moved rocks around and weed tangled around them, but that wasn't what worried him.

The water was quickly rising, he found, and even though Earth's gravity was different to him, water still had the same effect. He ducked his helm and he found himself quickly in the lair of the beast that had attacked Jeremy and his crew.

Rocks were arranged in a nest, and right in the middle was a clutch of three eggs. Optimus knelt and he touched each one. Then he lifted them and trudged his way back to the shore where his team and the humans waited. He let Jeremy see the eggs, then he stored them in his trailer after wrapping them firmly with rags and warm blankets to keep them from breaking open and spilling embryoes. He wasn't a scientist, but he knew that the eggs weren't quite done developing. He was surprised that the mother was gone.

He left the lake, believing that the mother had been taken down or crippled. That was the only reason why she would have abandoned her eggs, Optimus thought, and he thought he was doing the right thing.

ooo

The monster returned, settling into the lake and heading straight to the nest. She had moved two eggs to a new location. She couldn't risk her babies being discovered and taken from her, not after she realized that humans were around.

Her optics widened when her eggs were gone and she tore apart the bottom of the lake, hoping that her eggs would turn up. When they didn't, she bolted and went back to the mountains where her two eggs had been stored. She was losing motivation to care for the eggs that were only months away from hatching. Her kind would be continued, if only she would get over her depression to keep her eggs warm.

ooo

Optimus, after studying the eggs with his oldest friend Ratchet, discovered that the three eggs he had found were going to be mechs, except for one. The one that was to be a femme was weaker, and Ratchet thought that it would die before it hatched. Optimus wanted to get the baby out of the egg immediately, but he resisted. He would more likely damage the fragile thing instead of healing it.

Ratchet kept the eggs close and changed the temperature regularily, hoping to change the genders, but they were already decided. They would not change, which was disappointing.

They already had three mechs: Predaking, Skylynx, and Darksteel. If the mother _was_ dead, then there would be no femmes left. The Predacons would surely die out.

Optimus watched Ratchet fuss over the eggs, then he went to return to the lake. He Bridged there, hoping to find evidence of the mother. He did. The nest was destroyed in a rampage and Optimus realised his mistake.

ooo

The femme Predacon sniffed her cold eggs, then padded to the back of the cave. She wasn't interested in them anymore. She wanted the three she had lost, not the two she had. Sometimes, the sun would shine just right that the babies would be illuminated. They were femmes, and they were strong and healthy. But their carrier didn't seem to care. She wanted her sons and her other daughter. She laid her helm down on the floor, sighed, then got up again. She went back to the lake, laid down on the shattered nest, and fell asleep. Had she returned to the nest just minutes earlier, Optimus would have seen her, but he did not, and so she was left to mourn her young.


	2. Chapter 2

Optimus held the eggs in his trailer, wrapping them in a heating blanket every three hours in an attempt to change the genders, though it was hopeless. Ratchet still had some kind of hope that they could be changed and that it wasn't too late. Meanwhile, the Prime allowed Jeremy to stay in the base and he escorted him to and from the lake via GroundBridge and alt-mode. None of the crew seemed opposed to having a Cybertronian escort, especially with a Predacon unaccounted for.

Optimus had sent Predaking and Skylynx out to hopefully track the female down. They had yet to return. Jeremy felt as though they should return to the lake in case she returned to her old nest, but Optimus was less than optimistic about that. He refused. The human persisted. Optimus gave up.

The Prime took the trailer with him, set it on the shore of the lake, and while Jeremy cast off, Optimus ducked under the water to come face to face with the female Predacon.

She was watching him with one dull optic, her bad optic. Optimus could see the fog over the lense and he knew she would be unpredictable if he spooked her. He knelt slowly in the water and he reached out to touch her helm, but she wasn't Predaking. She snapped at his digits, faster than Optimus had predicted, but she didn't draw Energon and she didn't take any digits with her. She settled back down on the lake bed and sighed. Optimus moved slightly and saw that the remaining eggs were under her tail. One was completely crushed.

She was growing careless, Optimus realized, and he had to get her away from the eggs if the species was to survive. So he drew a dagger, and against his better judgement, shoved the blade through her wing and into the rocks beneath it. She didn't even twitch. Optimus looked at her with concern and he sighed softly before he got up and walked out of the lake.


	3. Chapter 3

Optimus returned to the lake with the Wreckers and with Predaking. While Predaking made the femme roll over onto her back, the Wreckers and Prime gathered the eggs into their arms and ran as fast as they could back to shore. Then Predaking drug the femme up by the back of her neck and he dropped her on her her side.

Jeremy and Optimus fussed over the crushed Predacon that was still whimpering and whining weakly, so they didn't see the femme escape and duck back under the water. Whenever Predaking tried to step back into the water, she'd snap at his paws. She drew Energon the third time and Optimus feared she would take more of the paw with her if he stepped back in, so they enlisted Jeremy. He set out bait of Energon all night and into most of the afternoon while Optimus cradled the Predacon. Predaking was charged with guarding the eggs until they hatched, and he took that seriously.

Then Optimus received a frantic call from the crew. Jeremy had hooked into something large, metallic, and very peeved.

Optimus Bridged there immediately, and when he saw that the Predacon was swimming in circles and staring at the humans with her good optic, he ran to Jeremy and took the line. It was the tackle that Optimus had given him: wire that had been used to construct nets for catching Insecticons and a massive hook. Jeremy had tied the line to a tree that was very stubbornly rooted in the ground. It wasn't moving. Not even the angry Predacon could convince it otherwise.

Optimus looked back at the humans, who were backing a few paces away. They were spooked by the Predacon and then they were scared when Optimus announced he was going for a swim.

He dove into the water and swam to her, keeping in her blind spot before he grabbed one of her horns and he jerked her helm around so that they were staring into each other's optic. Her good optic blinked, searching his for weakness, but Optimus had hidden his. She tested him, but he held firm. She laid her helm down and pressed her face into his chest, but he wasn't fooled. He kept her fangs away from him.

The hook was lodged in her mouth, so he teased it out and jerked his servo away before she could snap at him. Before she could escape, he pressed her into the pebbles of the lake and he hauled her onto the land. He didn't want to, but he would have to clip her wings. She was unstable, wanting her freedom instead of caring for her sparklings, but Ratchet was firm in his belief that she would gradually warm up to her sparklings again.

They had, after all, begun to show some activity. Even the crippled one was purring and squeaking to be fed, though its neck was still bent at an odd angle and its jaw was healing awkwardly.

Optimus wrapped the wire around her muzzle, then led her through the Bridge with the humans, who were very interested in what would happen to her.

Optimus put her in The Dark Room, which was merely a room with a large berth. It was warm, dark, and it soothed everything put in there. He watched her lay down and put her helm on her paws as she fell asleep due to exhaustion and the lack of desire to do anything.

He walked into the MedBay, sighing in relief when the weak Predacon scrambled around in its crate to get to Optimus. He soothed the little thing, stroked its wings, and then grabbed two clamps. Ratchet watched him and gave a nod of approval. Then Optimus walked to fasten the clamps on "Mama"'s wings.

Mama, earning the fond name from Jeremy, was still on her belly when Optimus came to her, but her optics were open and she stared at him. She offered her wings when he showed her the clamps, which saddened him. She was used to this...

When the clamps were in place, she tucked her wings away and sighed, but she let Optimus stroke her helm and body. Her optics closed again.

Optimus left her to sleep, wondering if she would every be okay again. He thanked Jeremy for helping him catch the Predacon, and offered to take the crew home, but the human refused. He wanted to stick around until the Predacons were ready to be released. Optimus knew it was something that he did, something he always wanted to do: Release what he caught.

The Prime permitted him to remain for another week, but no more. If the Predacons were getting worst, he didn't want Jeremy to be around when everything went to the Pits.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Several months later**_

Optimus was walking in the woods, whistling slightly as he gathered the Energon in the deposit he discovered into his arms. He heard the trees' leaves whisper against each other and he didn't get a chance to dodge. Claws dug into his neck and shoulders and wings battered at his helm.

"Hello, Lilylion." He pulled the little Predacon off his shoulders. Her neck was still bent and her jaw was crooked, but her optics were bright and she had learned to fly and hunt and fight with her injuries.

Mama wasn't far behind, her gentle pedesteps coming up from behind the Prime. Optimus turned as he purrs. "Hello, Mama..."

She took her baby into her mouth, carrying it as gently as she could. She let Optimus climb onto her back and she carried the Prime back.

Wheeljack was curled up on the ground while the mechling Predacons attacked and beat at him with their tiny wings. "Bulkhead! Get them off!"  
Bulkhead was standing off to the side with Miko on his shoulder as she filmed the whole scene.

" _Bulkhead!_ "

Optimus teased every mechling off, then held them while Mama resumed walking into the barn behind the Autobot base. She nosed open the door and purred at Skylynx, who was nuzzling his soon-to-be mate, and she settled next to Predaking. The larger mech nuzzled her neck softly, eyeing Optimus warily, but Mama flicked his shoulder with her tailtip.

Optimus walked to check on Skylynx and the Predacon baby, smiling when the little femme looked content and pleased crushed against his chest.

He left the Predacons in the barn and he walked into the Autobot base. Jeremy had called in several times during his absense and he listened to the messages.

He wondered what the Autobots were doing, what the sparklings were doing, how Lilylion was doing... Optimus decided he would look into visiting his new friend.

He thought about riding Mama to his home and stopping by for a visit, but Mama was still unaccustomed to her new saddle, and so was Optimus, so he decided to wait a few weeks or so before that visit. He liked Jeremy and wanted to impress him, but not so much that he wanted to endanger his human friend.

Lilylion clung to Optimus' back and hung to him, reminding him of the bats he found one time while investigating a cave. He tickled her helm and smiled at her happy chirring and purring. Then he took her into his quarters. Since she was fragile, he kept her away from her brothers and sisters. They were too big and too rough for them to play together.

He placed her back in her crate, smiling as he purred gently as she curled up on her pillow. She slept awkwardly and Optimus was worried she was hurting her neck, but she didn't seem to be bothered.

He closed the door and walked back to the main room to watch the barn. For once, everything seemed to be going okay. Mama and Predaking were getting ready to mate, Skylynx and Starburst were going to be mates... Optimus pulled back from the window and he walked to talk to Jeremy.

"Hello, Jeremy. Yes, Lilylion is great. I am going to let her visit you soon, hopefully with Mama, and we will help you catch your river monsters." Optimus chuckled and let the human get back to work planning his latest fishing trip. They would be seeing each other soon, and they were on the fast track of becoming friends. Optimus was never going to lose him.

 **Lilylion's injuries are based off of the injuries one of my kittens had gotten from her older sister. And I'm sorry if I made any mistakes. XD I didn't remember how many femmes there were and I didn't want to give them all names and then find out that they didn't exist after all XD Oops. Hope you guys like it! I don't intend continuing this, but if something comes to me, I'll type it down and post it! But I'm focusing most of my attention on** Zero to Hero. **Have a good day!**

 **-Prime627**


	5. Chapter 5

There was a pond. It looked shallow, but it was deep and it hid several things from view. The first was the toad and frog spawn, some eggs still anchored to the grass and stick debris at the bottom. The second was a full-grown metalic dragon. But Jeremy Wade didn't know about that last one.

He cast off. He set the hook. Optimus was waiting beside him, his frame trembling slightly as if in excitement. Then he whistled lowly and everything changed.

The line was begging _torn_ from the reel. It _squeeeeeeeeeee_ ed its protest as whatever was holding it tore across the large pond. Then it stopped.

"Optimus, if this is your idea of a joke..."

Suddenly there was a splash and Jeremy looked up and saw with wide eyes that Mama was at the end of his line.

She was _massive_. He didn't know how big Predacons grew, but they obviously never stopped growing. When she landed, she dropped carefully behind Optimus and watched Jeremy slowly reel in his line. She dropped the mangled hook in his hand when he held it out and Optimus stroked her helm fondly. Her optic was as big as his servo.

"I bet you hardly recognize her. You will not be able to recognize Lilylion either. She has...grown."

Mama lifted her head and made a high-pitched whistle form. Water sprayed out in a fine mist from her nostrils.

Heavy thuds and the feeling of the earth rock under Jeremy's feet announced the arrival of the clutch of eggs he had helped wrangle up.

Lilylion's neck was still twisted, but she was recovering slowly. Her neck had only a five-degree angle in it now, but her jaw looked no better and no worse.

"So...you build a pond, fill it with Predacons, and let me cast off?"

Optimus shrugged and knelt, producing a hook to replace the one Mama had mangled. Mama offered her own apologies by touching her cool snout to Jeremy's head and she fanned her wings.

"The Predacons are back in business. Predaking has sired three more clutches of eggs, and Starburst in heavily carrying."

Jeremy looked at her rounded belly and he touched it. She hummed, her whole body vibrating from the force. "Impressive."

"I thought that was what you would say."

"I would have liked to meet them without getting one of my better hooks mangled."

Optimus smiled a bit. "Next time, I will make sure that no hooks are destroyed."


End file.
